[jyl]

Commercial jerky needs to have an infinite shelf life so it is really, really dehydrated, has that dry leathery fibrous texture.

Homemade jerky doesn't need to last forever, so it can have just a bit more moisture. It makes a huge difference in texture and taste.

My process:
- Flank steak, trim off most fat
- Cut into 1/8" strips across the grain, half-freezing the meat helps but isn't necessary
- Make marinade by mixing BBQ sauce, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, liquid smoke, plenty of brown sugar, whatever else makes you happy - I got for a slightly sweet tangy Asian flavour, think Korean BBQ
- Marinate meat for a few hours
- Place strips in single layer on a rack, with lots of marinade on the meat, and dry it. That can be on rack of oven at lowest temp w/ door cracked, on HVAC filters on a box fan, on tray of a dehydrator, etc.
- Dehydrate for 15 hours or so in the dehydrator, maybe a little less in the oven
- You want, or at least I want, the jerky to have a stiff crusty feel, a bit crystalline from all the sugar, just barely a hint of tacky feel, but not dried to death. It will keep in a zip lock bag in a dark cupboard for many many months - I've never had a batch go bad, and usually it is gobbled up in a few weeks anyway.